Students: Nixon Takes Sides

When French universities erupted last year,
the usually inflexible Charles de Gaulle startled many Frenchmen by
declaring that he understood why the students wanted more say in their
affairs. Last week Richard Nixon (who, ironically, was about to visit
De Gaulle) took a very different approach toward campus disorders in
the U.S. Despite his trouble establishing rapport with young Americans
during his campaign, the President tackled dissident students head on.
In a publicly released letter, he lambasted demonstrators in general,
giving no hint of any distinction between their valid and invalid aims.